I left Youranju.
Jiang Sheng's steps were light and unsteady.
If the seven taels of silver a few days ago made her hands and feet tremble, then today's enormous fortune of fifty taels made even the hairs on her skin dance.
After finally reaching a secluded corner, Jiang Sheng shakily took out five silver ingots, almost biting her tongue several times. "Uncle Zhang, how, how should we divide them?"
Zhang Qiquan stammered, "Either, either is fine."
Zheng Ruqian's eyes widened, feeling embarrassed that his tongue wasn't even slightly thicker.
"Weren't we going to buy something?" Fang Heng was more composed. "When we buy things, we can break them up and each have half."
Zhang Qiquan had no objections.
He was the main force in tiger hunting, but selling the prey relied entirely on these children. They each took half, which was very fair.
Jiang Sheng had no objections and quickly stuffed the five silver ingots into his pocket, feeling the heavy joy once again.
"We need to buy meat, lots and lots of meat, and also bedding, one new one for each person..."
She was overjoyed, muttering calculations as she walked out.
Suddenly, the sunlight was blocked as two figures blocked their way out.
Jiang Sheng's pupils dilated and then contracted. She quickly covered her pockets and assumed a desperate stance.
This is the first time she's earned so much money, and she absolutely cannot afford any problems; it's more important than her life.
Then Zheng Ruqian's questioning voice came from beside him, "Xiao Si and Xiao Wu, how did you two get here?"
Oh, so it's Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun.
Jiang Sheng's legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground.
Fortunately, Fang Heng caught her in time and said with a forced smile, "Don't be afraid, we're one of our own."
Jiang Sheng was indignant. Who would have thought that her fourth and fifth brothers, who had stayed at home, would suddenly appear in the county?
"Not long after you left, Pang Dashan brought his men to the dilapidated temple and dismantled all the haystacks," Wen Zhiyun said sadly. "Xiao Wu was worried that something might have happened to you, so he managed to hitch a ride on a donkey cart to get here."
"Now that we see you are all safe and sound, we are relieved."
A group of people walked out of the secluded alley and returned to the main street, talking as they went.
Jiang Sheng suddenly remembered something, "Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, you didn't have any money, how did you manage to get here by donkey cart?"
Wen Zhiyun opened her mouth, but did not speak.
He had no choice, but Xiao Wu... was very clever.
After Wen Zhiyun lied to Zhou Zhiqiang at the Zhou family's house last time, claiming that Zhou Zhiqiang might have leprosy, and forcibly locked him in a dark room for a few days, Zhou Zhiqiang held a grudge against her.
He dared not target the young doctor anymore, nor did he dare to openly cause trouble. He could only secretly throw snakes, insects, rats, or ants at him, or urinate behind the dilapidated temple as a means of revenge.
Today, Changyan deliberately splashed water three times on the spot where he usually urinates, causing a layer of ice to form on that ground.
Zhou Zhiqiang slipped and fell on his backside, and his body, already weakened by alcohol, couldn't get up for a long time.
Wen Zhiyun appeared in front of him at just the right moment.
Although Zhou Zhiqiang held a grudge, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and ask for help since he was the only doctor within a ten-mile radius.
This time, Wen Zhiyun showed mercy and only charged four coins.
The two used the money to pay for the donkey cart fare and hurried to the city.
Although it was a little late, it was fortunate that the brother and sister were unharmed.
However, Chang Yan didn't mention the process of obtaining the travel expenses, and Wen Zhiyun was too embarrassed to bring it up, so he simply glossed over it.
Fortunately, Jiang Sheng wasn't the type to dig too deep.
"Since we're here, let's buy some things together. We'll buy whatever we want today."
Jiang Sheng was unusually generous.
Since the haystacks in the dilapidated temple had been cleared out, we bought bedding, one for each person, twelve in total.
The donkey cart can't fit them all?
No problem, just pay two extra coins and the boss will deliver it to your door.
The weather is cold, so meat and vegetables can be stored.
Then bring two chickens, two ducks, a bag of sweet potatoes, two pumpkins, three cabbages, four bundles of scallions, and five radishes.
Looking at the truck full of supplies, Jiang Sheng smiled broadly.
She had never seen so much, such luxurious food in her entire life.
As Jiang Sheng passed by the pastry shop, the aroma filled the air, reminding her that she hadn't yet tasted the pastries she had bought for Shopkeeper Bai last time.
So I gritted my teeth and bought two bags.
The fifty taels of silver were broken open, and Jiang Sheng counted out twenty-five taels and handed them to Zhang Qiquan.
Zhang Qiquan told the children to wait at the intersection while he went to the most famous silver jewelry shop in the county.
Not long after, he returned, clutching a plum blossom hairpin.
“Cui’er was born on a day when plum blossoms bloom.” He grinned. “This plum blossom hairpin will definitely suit her well.”
The donkey cart returned fully loaded.
As we passed through the town, many people couldn't help but look at us.
Those who knew Zhang Qiquan well couldn't help but greet him, "Are you stocking up on New Year's goods?"
Jiang Sheng suddenly realized that the New Year was not far away.
Back to the dilapidated temple.
Zhang Qiquan went home with the plum blossom hairpin in his hand. Fang Heng made an appointment with him to go up the mountain the next day to set a trap.
Jiang Sheng led her brothers to gather the straw.
Although they bought blankets and mattresses, they still had to sleep on the floor because they didn't have a bed.
Previously, they boasted that they would abandon haystacks, but in reality, the weather was so cold that a single quilt was not enough to keep up, and a layer of straw was necessary as a base.
Fortunately, none of the older brothers complained. They patiently spread out the straw, then unfolded the mattresses one by one, and placed the quilts on top.
It has that communal sleeping area vibe.
Jiang Sheng happily climbed to the middle, wrapped herself in the blanket from head to toe, and felt both satisfied and excited.
This was the first time she had her own bedding.
The unique scent of a new quilt is so enchanting that it's impossible not to be captivated.
night.
Jiang Sheng looked at the newly bought chicken and duck meat, and despite the strong persuasion of her older brothers, she ultimately did not eat them.
Hungry, she set her sights on the two bags of pastries, hesitated for a moment, and then gave up.
Zheng Ruqian chuckled beside him, "Little Jiang Sheng, just eat a couple of bites. No one will blame you for eating a couple of bites."
But Jiang Sheng turned her head away and buried herself directly in the soft bedding.
"No, I want to wait for my older brother to come back."
Good things should always be shared by the whole family.
As night deepened, Xu Mo returned home, braving the cold dew.
Seeing the food scattered all over the ground, he smiled and put down his pen and paper to start cleaning up.
The chicken is very fresh, so braising it would be a waste. It's better to make a pot of chicken soup. You don't need to add anything else, just a little salt and it will be delicious.
The moment the pot lid was lifted, a delicious aroma wafted for miles.
All the children gathered around.
Since there were no tables in the dilapidated temple, they ate around the stove, where the residual heat from the pot kept them warm.
The pastries had gone cold, but they were served with hot chicken soup.
This meal was the most delicious they had eaten since they got together.
This was also the warmest night.
They lay side by side on the soft mattresses, covered with brand-new cotton quilts, in the open space of the dilapidated temple, talking incoherently.
Gradually, Jiang Sheng closed her eyes first, and the others also gradually became sleepy.
A strong wind was howling outside, and the ice on the river was gradually spreading from the edge to the center. Crystal-clear frost flowers were spreading in the grass, and people walking outdoors couldn't help but wrap themselves up tighter.
Only inside the dilapidated temple remained warm, as always.
The oil burned to its last drop, then with a sizzle it all away, and the world fell silent.
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